Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

Two patients, Martin Brest and Rudi Wurlitzer, discover they both have untreatable diseases with short life expectancies. They confront the reality of their mortality in the hospital setting and begin talking about the death that awaits them.

A bottle of tequila appears and Martin learns that Rudi has never seen the sea. They vow that in heaven they will talk about the sea’s beauty, foreshadowing their grand plan.

Drunk and still in their pajamas, they steal a baby blue Mercedes-Benz W113 roadster belonging to a crime boss and declare their mission to see the sea. They arm themselves with a gun found in the glove compartment and begin robbing small shops along the way, driven by desperation and humor.

Their robberies yield cash and they discover a million deutsche marks hidden in the car’s trunk. The money becomes a lure that intensifies pursuit from different sides and complicates their simple quest.

Police units and gangsters close in on them as they drive toward the sea. On a remote country road, they are trapped with guns pointed at them from both sides, escalating the tension toward an inevitable confrontation.

The stand-off erupts into a big shoot-out. Martin and Rudi seize the chance to escape by sprinting through a corn field, narrowly avoiding their pursuers.

Following their escape, Martin buys a pink Cadillac—the same model Elvis Presley gave to his mother—with the wish to give his mother a similar gift. The car becomes a symbol of a final, hopeful gesture toward family.

Police ambush them near Martin’s mother's house. Martin pretends to have a seizure, collapsing to the ground, and Rudi watches as he is carried away in an ambulance.

En route, Martin and Rudi hijack the ambulance to continue their quest toward the sea. They insist on keeping their mission alive through the ride, despite their precarious circumstances.

On the way, they stop at a brothel owned by the boss whose money they had found at the start. Rudi’s wish to have sex with two women at once creates a tense moment, and they are spotted by the gangsters who still pursue them.

The gangsters capture them and take them to their boss who demands the money back. Martin claims the money has already been spent and mailed to random recipients, a lie that enrages the criminal.

Curtiz, the top-dog criminal, arrives and, after hearing their tale, warns them to run before they run out of time. The moment injects a final sense of urgency into their odyssey.

Martin and Rudi finally reach the ocean’s shore, get to the sandy beach, and walk toward the water. Martin collapses and dies, while Rudi sits beside him, facing the sea and watching the surf.